Sports

Get in the Hole! This week’s Athlete of the Week is standout Freshman Ivan Kennedy. Kennedy has been a crucial part of the Jr. Bills team success this year, which has included placing top three at every event with their varsity starting five. As SLUH’s “five guy”, Kennedy posted a 74 at Dalhousie country club, his best score of the year, followed by a 76 at districts. The highlight of districts, and the year perhaps, came on the 12th hole, a 180 yard par 3, where Kennedy dribbled in a hole in one to send the Jr. Bills to state for the first time since 2017.

The grounds of Oakland are renowned for St. Louis U. High student’s dedication to academics, arts, and faith. These splendid virtues are all accompanied by an athletics program that gratefully accepted its fourth straight all sports Metro Catholic Conference (MCC) trophy yesterday.

The St. Louis U. High varsity lacrosse team began its playoff run in the MSLA Class 2 state tournament this past Tuesday. After being named the No. 6 seed in the bracket, the Jr. Bills were matched against a Kirkwood team filled with explosive offense. After the Jr. Bills claimed an 11-4 victory over the Pioneers, they went on to face off against the Chaminade Red Devils last night, capturing an explosive 8-5 victory to move on to the semifinals of the playoffs.

The St. Louis U. High baseball team has hit its stride again. After some disappointing losses last week, the SLUH baseball team came back with a win against Freeburg on Tuesday, and a walk-off victory against Rockwood Summit. 

“It ain’t a thing without the ring.” These words, uttered by team manager Martin Miller during a huddle, became the mantra for the St. Louis U. High rugby team in the state final and semifinal matches. This past Saturday, the team defeated both Eureka and the St. Louis Jets to become the 2025 Missouri rugby state champions.

The Saint Louis U. High varsity volleyball squad took to the Danis Field House court on Wednesday for the Class One District Three semifinal game against the Collegiate School of Med-Bio Science Owls, and then the district final yesterday. Coming off of a solid season, they took a win, propelling them to the district championship.

Following a cancellation due to rain last Thursday, the top five golfers of St. Louis U. High traveled to Crescent Farms Golf Course on Monday to compete in the Class Five District One District Tournament. A hole-in-one from freshman Ivan Kennedy and top ten performances from juniors Harrison Zipfel and Nick Vilela led to a second place playoff win that will send the entire squad to the state tournament for the first time in eight years, marking a turning point for the program.

This week’s Athlete of the Week is record breaking senior distance runner Alex Bendaña. Bendaña is a standout star on the track team and is committed to the University of Dayton next year for Cross Country and Track and Field. The superstar has broken the SLUH record and is currently ranked at 3rd in the 3200 in the state, and 11th in the 1600. Last Wednesday, the runner won the 1600 and 3200 at MCC championships adding to his tally of gold medals.

As the SLUH Esports spring season winds down, the Super Smash Bros team is heating up a deep postseason runs. The whole season they have been building up to competing in the playoffs in both the Missouri Scholastic Esports Federation (MOSEF) and the High School Esports League (HSEL).

The St. Louis U. High Lacrosse team ended the regular season on a high note, winning 4 of their last 5 games. With a share of blowout wins with excellent offense and a pair of close games allowed the Jr. Bills to see where they stand heading down the stretch.

The St. Louis U. High Track and Field team battled through the competitive midpoint of the season last week as the Varsity 2 team competed at the Jim Farrell Invitational, finishing second; the JV and C teams competed at De Smet; and the Varsity at the Kirkwood Dale Collier Invitational, where they finished fourth. 

This past Monday, the Varsity volleyball team had their senior night at home right before the third to last game of the season. Here, they were recognized for their commitment to the Saint Louis U. High volleyball program as their final season comes to a close.

The Saint Louis U. High Varsity Water Polo team wrapped up its regular season last Thursday with a dominant 19-3 win over Oakville. The team now looks ahead to their first round of the state playoffs. Their opponent is to be decided.

The Jr. Bills Ultimate frisbee team participated in the 2025 Missouri State championship tournament this past weekend in Edwardsville, Illinois. The season was one of learning and opportunity for the team, with a record of 3-5.

The St. Louis U. High volleyball team faced a huge rival, the Vianney Griffins, last Thursday. In an intense matchup, the Jr. Bills lost in just three sets, the quickest loss of their four on the season.

The St. Louis U. High Track and Field team showcased strong depth, splitting up for two meets last week:  the Ladue Brusca Strobach Invite and Distance Night in Palatine. Overall the meets were successful for the Jr. Bills, with an 8th place finish at Ladue and personal bests at Palatine. 

The St. Louis U. High rugby team defeated the St. Louis Jets 35-28 last night on Senior Night in a thrilling State semifinal game, giving the Jr. Bills the opportunity to get revenge and capture the Missouri State title after losing in the championship game last year.

After a hard fought game of nine solid innings of baseball which continued long into the night, the St. Louis U. High varsity baseball team beat the Oakville Tigers 2-1 on a walk off balk. Going into the game, the Tigers were ranked No. 7 in the state, while SLUH was ranked No. 8 per Scout Connect Baseball. 

This week's Prep News Athlete of the Week is sophomore third baseman and closing pitcher Cole Chambers. With a strong .304 batting average and 9 RBIs, Chambers is making a huge impact in the batters box for the Jr. Bills. He has also claimed a team leading 3 saves in his 8 appearances on the mound, giving up only 8 hits in those showings.

Hockey never stops! As the St. Louis U. High hockey team ended its ice season, many players elected to swap ice skates for roller blades for the inline hockey season. As the Jr. Bills close in on the end of the season, they are looking to end off strong with momentum headed into the playoffs.